One of the most iconic scenes in the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory is when Gene Wilder pulls back the doors of his tasting room and the children marvel at how almost everything they see is an epicurean wonder . That scene describes how I felt walking through the Kosher Restaurant and Wine Experience at Chelsey Piers this past Monday.
In front of me were booths laden with fine wines and gourmet food which for a foodie like myself is akin to achieving nirvana. Systematically I went from booth to booth sampling their showcase dishes. At Le’ Marais I had a fantastic lamb chili with an avocado relish. Colbeh a Persian restaurant in Manhattan was featuring grilled skewers of chicken and beef called Koobideh served with a lentil stew and rice. It was superb. Other booths like Dougie’s Bar-B-Q served more simple dishes like sliders and popcorn chicken. Pomegranate Supermarket in Brooklyn had three tables set up with carving stations. At the back of the room Nesher Caterers had set up a smörgÃ¥sbord of various foods that they specialized in making. Nesher’s food ran the gamut ranging from simple fruit platters to much more complex dishes like chicken marsala. Their fried cauliflower was a particular favorite of mine.
Amongst all these well known restaurants serving the very peak of their culinary abilities it would have been easy for smaller, newer restaurants to simply fade into the background but for Basil, a soon to open dairy restaurant in Crown Heights, it was their opportunity to shine. Basil served a tuna tartare with smoked paprika oil and green olive reduction as well as a chocolate truffle with coco nibs and sweet cream sauce that was meant to be squeezed as you ate it from the stem the desert was served on.
“We took the idea from a French style meat ball. We call it the star burst experiance” Said Restaurant Manager Ouri Ivry. Ouri went on to say that they had told the chefs preparing dishes for the event that “we want to go high end and quality. We don’t want to cut any corners with what we are presenting”. What was all the more impressive is the fact that these foods were made parve by a restaurant specializing in dairy. Overall the experience of the Kosher Restaurant and Wine Experience was amazing. When all was said and done I had been there for five hours. I was overly full but none the worse for wear. Needless to say I am looking forward to next years event.
